This post has been a long work in progress. Unfortunately that doesn't necessarily mean quality. Most of this was written while on a high from our win. Trust me, the tone of this post would be much different if I'd written it after last week's game. So indulge me. Go back about nine or ten days and try to remember how we all felt.
Whoa, who were those Vikings? We could run, we could stop the run, we could pass, we could stop the, well, uh, not really. But we were still amazing. 41-28 is one heck of a solid win, and it's going to go a long way towards boosting our morale (remember, nine or ten days ago). The combination of Asiata and McKinnon was too much for the Falcons to handle, and Bridgewater shredded their secondary without breaking a sweat. And credit needs to be given to the coaching staff, especially Norv Turner. Most of the time Bridgewater didn't need to go through his progressions because his first read was open. The Gloved Assassin (I can't take the credit for this; I read it in a Facebook post) gets credit for putting the ball where it needed to be, but Turner gets the credit for getting everyone in the perfect position.
Our run game has struggled without Peterson. Asiata isn't going to make anyone miss. He's a power back, and that's about it. But with the way our line has been playing, Asiata has to try to run over a whole defender when he should have at least a small hole to push through. He had that against the Falcons, bulling his way through for 77 yards and 3 touchdowns. Anybody have him on their fantasy team? And then McKinnon backed him up with 135 yards on 18 carries. Well, maybe backing up may not be the best phrase for that performance. This game allowed me, and probably many others, to feel slightly better about the future of our run game without Peterson.
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| from: zimbio.com |
Our run game wouldn't have been nearly as effective if our line hadn't played so well. I didn't watch too closely, so maybe Turner was giving Kalil a little more help than normal. It was just a much more solid performance. Then again, the Falcons don't have a great defensive line, especially in the pass rush department. We didn't give up a single sack, a credit to the line and to Teddy Bridgewater, even if the Falcons aren't very good in that aspect.
The line also made our passing attack much more potent. Though Teddy did a lot for that, too, him and the great gameplan. He didn't seem to hold the ball for long as he was able to get the ball to his first read in most cases. And he had the precision and arm strength to get it to the receiver in the right spot at the right time for them to make the completion. Teddy didn't throw for a touchdown, but he did throw for 317 yards with a 10.6 yards per completion average and no interceptions. That latter part is what we need the most. No turnovers goes a long way towards our success. Teddy will go a long way towards success for the Vikings. Yet he twisted his ankle trying to get into the endzone, and while there was hope he'd be able to play in Thursday's game against Green Bay, we know how that turned out. Let's save the complaining for the next post coming. Teddy is definitely our future.
The defense played a very solid game. We did allow a little over a hundred rushing yards, and Matt Ryan threw for just under 300 and 3 touchdowns, but we stopped them when we needed to and we even notched two interceptions. Anthony Barr got his second sack, too. Matt Ryan's stats looked good, but he didn't look like he got into a rhythm. We didn't get burned on any big runs, either. It was a big improvement over the week before. I can't say I hope this continues into the next week, because we know how that turned out. I'd rather say I hope the game against the Falcons becomes more of the norm (though I could do with a bit better pass coverage).
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| from: myajc.com |
I've covered a bit already, but I have to gush about the gloved assassin for a bit. Norv Turner and the other coaches came completely prepared, so they get a ton of credit for calling the right plays at the right times. But ultimately Teddy has to make the throw, or the read, or get them out of a play when the defense shows something the offense didn't expect. And he made those throws, and those reads. 317 yards, no touchdowns or interceptions, and 27 yards rushing with a touchdown. There were quite a few read option plays, and passes based off a read option. I wouldn't say Teddy would be classified as a running quarterback-he's not Kaepernick or Wilson-but he's fast enough that his feet are a threat. That's not something we get from Cassel. I was all for Cassel playing the whole year and giving Teddy a chance to soak everything in, but Teddy's ready. I understand it's only one game, but he looked sharp, the kind of sharp that isn't just being in the groove on a particular night. I think we got lucky that he chose not to wear gloves for his pro day.
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| from: csmonitor.com |
One last note here. Jarius Wright looked good. He was running deep routes and taking short screens for good chunks of yards. He's not as explosive as Patterson, or as consistent and sure-handed as Jennings, but he will be a very complete receiver for us, if not this year then most likely next year. With Teddy only getting better, and defenses gameplanning and focusing on Patterson, the continued growth of Wright will go a long way towards making our offense potent.
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| from: examiner.com |
Normally this is where I'd say let's hope this carries to next week. Womp womp womp. At least we get Teddy against the Lions this Sunday. The post on the game on Green Bay should be up shortly. I don't have a lot I feel compelled to say.
